Fibromyalgia Support Group

You're not alone in your pain. Fibromyalgia is a condition that can be difficult to diagnose and manage. If you're trying to cope with pain throughout your body, sleep problems, general fatigue, or other common fibromyalgia symptoms, you're in the right place. The community is here for you to talk about therapies and share your challenges.

Lymes is very tricky...you could have been bitten YEARS ago...light symptoms...to serious symptoms...but if you do not see a Dr. right away...or if you do not put the Bullseye rash together with an illness you may experience later...it is almost impoosable to diagnose...alot of the symptoms seem to be the similiar to FM...and you can get negative results...very few labs know to do the proper testing for it...I have checked into this...at times they may diagnose you with it EVEN if you do NOT test positive, given the symptoms list and exspecially if you ever had that rash...which i did...but was way back in early 90's....have been told if i did not ever recieve any treament for it, then i would still very likely have it...Lymes Disease....GOOGLE it...

If you are bitten by a tick carrying Lyme disease bacteria, a circular skin rash often develops at the site of the tick bite within a month. The rash slowly expands and may become very large. Flulike symptoms, such as fatigue, headache, sore muscles and joints, fever and chills, and swollen lymph nodes, also may occur. Lyme disease develops in three stages.

Early localized Lyme disease usually occurs 3 to 31 days after being bitten. If Lyme disease is not detected and treated properly during the early localized stage, the infection may progress to the second or third stages of Lyme disease and involve the skin, joints, nervous system, and heart.

Early disseminated Lyme disease is the second stage. It may develop several weeks or months after you become infected and can cause:

Skin problems, such as an expanding, circular rash at the site of the bite. Additional rashes can then develop on other parts of your body as the infection spreads. More serious skin problems from Lyme disease are rare in the United States but can include swelling in the earlobes and near the nipples, and severe thinning of the skin on the hands and feet.
Joint problems, which are common and include brief episodes of pain, redness, and swelling in one or more large jointsmost often the knee. Joint symptoms usually improve with antibiotic treatment.
Early nervous system problems, such as pain and weakness in the arms and legs caused by nerve inflammation.
Heart problems, most commonly a slow or irregular heartbeat (arrhythmia). Heart problems resulting from Lyme disease are rare and are particularly uncommon if you did not already have a weakened heart before getting Lyme disease.
Late persistent Lyme disease is the last and often the most serious stage of the disease. It may develop weeks, months, or rarely, years after the initial infection and can cause:

Joint problems, such as early arthritis that most often affects the knee. A small number of people eventually develop chronic Lyme arthritis, which usually improves with antibiotic treatment. However, joints that have been badly damaged may take a long time to heal or may not respond to antibiotic treatment. In some cases, surgery to remove the lining of the affected joint (synovectomy) may be necessary.
Late nervous system problems, such as pain, weakness, or numbness in the arms or legs that can occur when the bacterial infection has spread to the nerves or spinal cord. Severe headaches, fatigue, or problems with vision, hearing, memory, concentration, and thinking can also develop. Serious nervous system problems can cause severe headache and stiff neck due to inflammation of the tissues surrounding the brain and spinal cord (meningitis); paralysis of the nerves that control the muscles in the face (Bell's palsy); and inflammation of the brain (encephalitis). However, these problems sometimes go away on their own; if not, they usually improve after antibiotic treatment.
Heart problems, which are rare, but can occur months to even years after initially being bitten by an infected tick. The most serious heart problemssuch as inflammation of the structures surrounding the heart (pericarditis)usually resolve without any permanent damage. Unfortunately, heart problems can be the first sign of Lyme disease in a small number of people who did not have early symptoms.
Later symptoms of untreated Lyme disease, such as joint problems, weakness or numbness in the arms or legs, severe fatigue, or difficulties with memory and thinking, may resemble other illnesses such as fibromyalgia or multiple sclerosis.

Later symptoms of untreated Lyme disease, such as joint problems, weakness or numbness in the arms or legs, severe fatigue, or difficulties with memory and thinking, may resemble other illnesses such as fibromyalgia or multiple sclerosis.

I was diagnosed with Lyme disease in 2000 and with Fibro in 2007. I think that EVERYONE who is diagnosed with Fibro should also be tested for Lyme disease. And if the test comes back negative get tested AGAIN. The tests is very inaccurate and comes back as a false negative very often. Lyme disease and Fibro are very, very similar and the two are often mistaken for each other.Take Care :)

What happens when one IS diagnosed with Lyme Disease? Is there treatment for it and if it's antibiotics, is there one certain type that only works? Reason I'm asking is that I've taken antibiotics for different things throughout 22 years but still have FMS. Wouldn't the antibiotics taken for something else clear the Lyme Disease up?

P.S. I just got 5 more vials of blood taken out of me after work today. For Lyme, mold, arthritis, vitamin D deficiency and hepB (check). I'm allergic to the hypo-allergenic tape they used, so I have red marks where the tape was!

I do believe there is a series of antibiotics they use...and very few Labs that properly test for lymes, is why the constant negative result...there are Dr.s that will diagnose and treat Even with a negative result, as they know it is quite common...and they base it on history of symptoms...I did have a Bullseye rash,,,SO many years ago, i have been told even tho it has been many years i could still very well have Lymes in my system...but don't bother asking the CDC about it...i called them, had to go thru 3 people...and STILL got no answers...i thought these were the people that were sposed to know EVERYthing...nope !!

A friend sent this to me..As far as I can see, grief will never truly end.It may become softer overtime, more gentleand some days will feel sharp.But grief will last as long as Love does - ForeverIt's simply the way the absence of your loved onemanifests in your heart. A deep longing accompaniedby the deepest Love some days. The heavy fog mayreturn and the next day, it may recede.Once again, it's...

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